If you've ever spotted a puppy in the street and just wanted to squeeze it, there's an actual, scientific reason why. Researchers have discovered why people react in such a way to adorable-looking things and it's called cute aggression.A psychologist has found some people are so overwhelmed at the sight of a cute dog or baby that their brain almost overloads. It then sends a signal to calm us down, making us feel like we want to "squeeze, crush or even bite creatures" we find cute, albeit in a harmless way, because we "can't take" the feeling we're experiencing.Katherine Stavropoulos, an assistant professor of special education at the University of California, Riverside, decided to investigate the science behind cute aggression further after a Yale University study revealed the phenomenon in 2015. She asked 54 study participants to wear caps fitted with electrodes, who were then shown photographs of "cute" puppies and babies along with pictures of "less cute" babies and adult animals. Overall, participants self-reported more significant feelings of cute aggression (feeling overwhelmed and caring) when faced with sweet-looking animals than when looking at less cute, adult animals."Essentially, for people who tend to experience the feeling of 'not being able to take how cute something is,' cute aggression happens," Stavropoulos explained. "Our study seems to underscore the idea that cute aggression is the brain's way of 'bringing us back down' by mediating our feelings of being overwhelmed."She also found that the brain's reward system was triggered more strongly during feelings of cute aggression, especially when we're very overwhelmed.Stavropoulos said our brains may have evolved in this way to allow us to continue to care for creatures we find particularly cute. Speaking of cute, check out some adorable dogs being dogs in the related video above.

If you've ever spotted a puppy in the street and just wanted to squeeze it, there's an actual, scientific reason why. Researchers have discovered why people react in such a way to adorable-looking things and it's called cute aggression.

A psychologist has found some people are so overwhelmed at the sight of a cute dog or baby that their brain almost overloads. It then sends a signal to calm us down, making us feel like we want to "squeeze, crush or even bite creatures" we find cute, albeit in a harmless way, because we "can't take" the feeling we're experiencing.

Katherine Stavropoulos, an assistant professor of special education at the University of California, Riverside, decided to investigate the science behind cute aggression further after a Yale University study revealed the phenomenon in 2015.

She asked 54 study participants to wear caps fitted with electrodes, who were then shown photographs of "cute" puppies and babies along with pictures of "less cute" babies and adult animals.

Getty ImagesCatherine Falls Commercial

Overall, participants self-reported more significant feelings of cute aggression (feeling overwhelmed and caring) when faced with sweet-looking animals than when looking at less cute, adult animals.

"Essentially, for people who tend to experience the feeling of 'not being able to take how cute something is,' cute aggression happens," Stavropoulos explained. "Our study seems to underscore the idea that cute aggression is the brain's way of 'bringing us back down' by mediating our feelings of being overwhelmed."

Getty Imageswww.lauraophotography.com

She also found that the brain's reward system was triggered more strongly during feelings of cute aggression, especially when we're very overwhelmed.

Stavropoulos said our brains may have evolved in this way to allow us to continue to care for creatures we find particularly cute.

Speaking of cute, check out some adorable dogs being dogs in the related video above.